Meet Chef Reece MacIsaac | Ontario Culinary
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Meet Chef Reece MacIsaac of Est Restaurant in Toronto

Everyone knows that the best parties always end in the kitchen. We sat down with Feast On Chef Reece MacIsaac to get to know him, and the local foods that inspire him, a little better.

 

Reece MacIsaac

Est Restaurant

Toronto, ON

 

EST RESTAURANT

 


 

What’s your favourite seasonal ingredient?

I lived in Australia for a bit, and they had insane fruits in the summertime. I remember trying fresh passionfruit for the first time, and it was bordering on orgasmic. So delicious.

What’s your drink of choice?

A white negroni or orange wine.

Most underrated ingredient?

Cabbage, I think. It’s been getting a lot of love these days, but I still think it’s one of the tastiest vegetables when you char it and baste with butter. Fire.

Favourite restaurant? 

It’s hard to choose because I’ve been to a lot of great restaurants, but one that I always like going back to is Bar Von Der Fels in Calgary. They always have delicious wines open, and the owners are super knowledgeable, and the food is always tasty. Great spot for a date.

What’s the best part of working with Ontario food and drink?

I think just the variety and quality of ingredients that you find here as opposed to other parts of Canada. As a cook, you always get excited when you discover new ingredients. When it’s right here in Canada, it makes it even more special. We’ve been finding a ton of new things that we’re super excited to work with.

Why is Feast On important to you and the uniqueness of your restaurant?

Feast On is important to us because we get to work with farmers and producers and people who genuinely care about the sustainability of Ontario growing practices and maintaining the integrity of Canadian produce and then showcasing them on a world stage. That was a bad run-on sentence; English wasn’t my best subject…bear with me.

Fill in the blank “If I entered a competitive eating contest, I’d definitely win if the item was _________”

Mini eggs.

What does your ‘Perfect Weekend’ in Toronto look like?

If I could have all of my family members back home fly in for a weekend and I owned a mansion with enough rooms for all of them and I held them hostage and they never left…that or a drake concert.